Mitango 35
1 Yawe alobaki na Moyize kati na etando ya Moabi, pembeni ya Yordani oyo etalani na Jeriko:
Yahweh told this to Moses/me [while the Israeli people were] on the plain in the Moab region near the Jordan [River], across from Jericho:
2 « Pesa mitindo na bana ya Isalaele ete bapesa na Balevi, wuta na libula oyo bakozwa, bingumba ya kovanda elongo na mabele oyo ezali zingazinga na yango.
“Tell the Israeli people that from the land that they will receive, they must give to the descendants of Levi some cities in which they can live. They must also give them some land around these cities.
3 Bingumba ekozala mpo na kovanda, mpe mabele ya zingazinga mpo na bibwele na bango, bisalelo na bango mpe banyama na bango nyonso.
Those will be for the descendants of Levi to live in, and around the cities will be land for their cattle and flocks of sheep and goats and other animals.
4 Mabele ya zingazinga ya bingumba oyo bokopesa na Balevi ekozala etando ya bametele pene nkama mitano kobanda na mir ya engumba.
“The land that you give them for their animals must extend out for (1,500 feet/450 meters) from the walls of the cities.
5 Na libanda ya engumba, bokozwa etando ya bametele pene nkoto moko na ngambo ya este, nkoto moko na ngambo ya weste, nkoto moko na ngambo ya nor mpe nkoto moko na ngambo ya sude; mpe engumba ekozala na kati-kati. Yango nde ekozala mabele na bango ya zingazinga.
Also measure (3,000 feet/900 meters) in each direction out from the walls of each city. That additional land will be land for their animals outside the walls of the cities.”
6 Bokobongisa mpo na Balevi bingumba motoba ya kokimela mpo ete moto oyo abomi moninga na nko te akoka kokima kuna; bokobakisa bingumba mosusu tuku minei na mibale.
“Six of the cities that you give to the descendants of Levi will be cities to which people [can run] to be safe. If someone [accidentally] kills someone else, the one who killed that person may run to one of those cities to be safe.
7 Na nyonso, bokopesa na Balevi bingumba tuku minei na mwambe, moko na moko elongo na mabele na yango ya zingazinga.
You must also give to the descendants of Levi 42 other cities and the land around those cities, for their animals,
8 Mpo na bingumba oyo bokopesa na Balevi wuta na libula ya mabele ya bana ya Isalaele, bosengeli kozwa yango kolanda bozwi ya libota moko na moko: libota oyo ezali na bingumba ebele ekopesa mpe bingumba ebele; libota oyo ezali na bingumba moke ekopesa mpe bingumba moke. »
The Israeli tribes that have the most people must give them more cities than the tribes that have fewer people give. Each tribe must give some of its cities to the descendants of Levi, but the tribes that have more land must give more cities, and the tribes that have less land will give fewer cities.”
9 Yawe alobaki na Moyize:
Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
10 « Loba na bana ya Isalaele: ‹ Tango bokokatisa Yordani mpo na kokota na Kanana,
“Tell this to the Israeli people: When you cross the Jordan [River] and enter the Canaan [region],
11 bokopona bingumba ya kokimela mpo ete moto oyo akoboma moto na nko te akoka kokima kuna.
you must choose some cities to which people can run to be safe/protected. If someone kills another person (accidentally/without planning to do that), the one who killed that person may run to one of those cities and be safe.
12 Bingumba yango ekozala ekimelo mpo na bino liboso ya mobukanisi makila; na bongo mobomi akokufa te soki asambi nanu te na miso ya lisanga.
One of the relatives of the person who was killed may think he must avenge his relative’s death [by killing the murderer]. But in that city, the killer will be safe [because the people in that city would kill those relatives if they tried to get revenge there]. The man who killed someone accidentally [must] be put on trial in a court.
13 Kati na bingumba oyo bokopesa, bingumba motoba ekozala ekimelo mpo na bino:
You must set apart six cities to be cities to which someone who killed another person accidentally may run and be safe.
14 misato na ngambo ya Yordani, mpe misato kati na Kanana. Ekozala bingumba ya kokimela.
There must be three of those cities on the east side of the Jordan [River] and three that will be [on the west side], in the Canaan region.
15 Bingumba nyonso motoba ekozala ekimelo mpo na bana ya Isalaele mpe mpo na bapaya oyo bakozala kati na bino. Boye moto nyonso oyo akoboma moto na nko te akoki kokima kuna.
Those six cities will be cities where Israeli people may run to and be safe, and where foreigners and other people who are living among you can also run to and be safe. Any of those people who accidentally kills someone may run to one of those cities [and be safe/protected there].
16 Soki abeti moninga na ye libende, mpe moninga yango akufi, moto wana azali mobomi; basengeli koboma ye.
“But [you must consider that] anyone who kills another person with an iron weapon or with a big rock or with a piece of wood, is a murderer, and the one who killed the other person must be executed.
17 Soki abeti moninga na ye libanga, mpe moninga yango akufi, moto wana azali mobomi; basengeli koboma ye.
18 Soki abeti moninga na ye nzete, mpe moninga yango akufi, moto wana azali mobomi; basengeli koboma ye.
19 Ezali mobukanisi makila nde akoboma mobomi: akoboma ye tango kaka akokutana na ye.
A relative of the person who was murdered must be the one who executes the murderer as soon as he finds him.
20 Soki abambi moninga na ye eloko na nko mpe moninga yango akufi
If someone shoves another person [over a cliff] or throws something at another person
21 to soki abeti moninga na ye likofi mpo ete alingaka ye te, mpe moninga yango akufi, moto wana azali mobomi; boye mobukanisi makila akoboma mobomi tango kaka akokutana na ye.
or hits that person with his hand/fist and causes that person to die, if he did it because he hated that person, then you must consider that he is a murderer, and must be executed. A relative of the person who was killed must be the one who executes the murderer as soon as he finds him.
22 Kasi soki moto atindiki moninga na ye na nko te to na kokana te, soki abambi ye eloko na makanisi mabe te,
“But someone might accidentally shove someone else, or accidentally throw something at another person and hit him, not because he hates that person.
23 soki akweyiseli ye libanga na nko te mpe na kokana te, mpe moninga yango akufi,
Or he might drop a rock on someone that he did not see. If the one who does that does not plan to hurt anyone and does not hate the person that was killed,
24 lisanga ekokata makambo oyo kolanda mibeko kati ya mobomi mpe mobukanisi makila.
the people of that city must decide whether the relative of the dead person [has the right to get revenge], or whether the one who killed the other person [truly did it (accidentally/without planning to do it)].
25 Lisanga ekokangola mobomi na maboko ya mobukanisi makila mpe ekozongisa ye kati na engumba ya kokimela epai wapi akimaki. Mobomi akovanda kuna kino na kufa ya mokonzi ya Banganga-Nzambe oyo bapakolaki mafuta ya bule.
[If they decide that the killer planned to kill the other person, they must not allow him to stay in their city. But if they decide that it was done accidentally], they must protect the killer from being killed by the dead person’s relative. They must send the killer to one of the cities where he will be safe/protected, and allow him to stay there until the Supreme Priest dies. [After that, the killer may go back to his home, because the dead person’s relative no longer has the right to get revenge].
26 Nzokande soki mobomi alongwe na engumba ya kokimela epai wapi akimaki,
“But [while the Supreme Priest is still living], the person who is in that safe city must not leave that city.
27 mpe soki mobukanisi makila akutani na ye libanda ya engumba na ye ya kokimela mpe abomi ye, mobukanisi makila asali mabe te.
If he goes outside the city, and if a relative of the dead person finds him, that relative is permitted to kill that person, [and people will not consider that the relative is guilty of murder.]
28 Pamba te mobomi asengeli kovanda kati na engumba na ye ya kokimela kino na kufa ya mokonzi ya Banganga-Nzambe. Ezali kaka sima ya kufa na ye nde akoki kozonga na mabele na ye.
The killer must stay in that city where he will be safe/protected until the Supreme Priest dies. [He will be safe from revenge after that, because the death of the Supreme Priest will be considered to be a sacrifice to atone for that murder]. After that, the killer may return to his home.
29 Mitindo oyo ekozala mibeko mpo na bino mpe mpo na bakitani na bino nyonso, na bisika nyonso oyo bokovanda.
“You must always obey those regulations, wherever you live.
30 Tango nyonso oyo moto akoboma moninga na ye, bakoboma mobomi soki kaka batatoli ebele bafundi, pamba te litatoli ya moto moko ekoki te mpo na kokatela moto etumbu ya kufa.
“If someone [is accused of] killing another person, the one who is accused may be executed only if there are people who saw him do it. There must be more than one witness; no one is permitted to be executed if there was only one (witness/person who saw him do it).
31 Bokondima kozwa eloko moko te mpo na kosikola bomoi ya mobomi oyo asengeli na kufa; basengeli kaka koboma ye.
“If there is a murderer who truly should be executed, do not [spare his life by] accepting (a ransom/money for him not to be killed). He must be executed.
32 Bokondima mpe kozwa eloko moko te mpo na kopesa ye nzela ya kokima na engumba songolo ya kokimela to ya kozonga kovanda lisusu kati na mokili na ye liboso ya kufa ya mokonzi ya Banganga-Nzambe.
“If someone has run to a city where he will be safe/protected, do not allow him to give you money in order that you will permit him to return to his home before the Supreme Priest dies.
33 Bokokomisa mbindo te mokili epai wapi bozali. Solo, kosopa makila ekomisaka mokili mbindo; pamba te soki makila esopani na mokili, ezali kaka na nzela ya makila ya moto oyo asopi yango nde bakoki kokomisa lisusu mokili peto.
“You must execute people who truly murder others. If you did not do that, you would be causing the people who live in the land to become unacceptable to me. Anyone who deliberately kills an innocent person must be executed.
34 Bokokomisa mbindo te mokili epai wapi bokovanda, mokili epai wapi Ngai mpe nakovanda; pamba te nazali Yawe, navandaka kati na bana ya Isalaele. › »
I am Yahweh, and I live among you Israelis, so do not spoil/pollute the land by allowing people to murder others without being punished.”
